Tires and wheels
Tire pressure monitoring
indicator
CD General notes
Applies to: ve hicles w ith tire p ressu re monitoring system
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la
bel, you should determine the proper tire infla
tion pressure for those tires) .
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped w ith a tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure tell
tale when one or more of your t ires is significant
ly under-inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible , and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a signifi
cantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over
heat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and stop
ping ability .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re
sponsib ility to ma intain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to tr igger illum inat ion of the TPMS low tire pres
sure telltale.
Your veh icle has also been equipped w ith a TPMS
malfunct ion indicator to indicate when the sys
tem is not operat ing properly. The TPMS mal
function indicator is combined w ith the low tire
pressure telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi
mately one minute and then remain continuous ly
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal
function exists .
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated,
the system may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure as intended . TPMS malfunctions
222
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the veh icle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and
whee ls allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
Appl ies to: vehicles wit h Tire Pressure Mo nito rin g System in
dica tor
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system malfunction.
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor
i ng system compares the tire tread c ircumfer
ence and vibration characteristics of the individu
al tires. If the pressure changes in one or more
tires , this is indicated in the instrument cluster
display with an
Ii] indicator light and a message.
If only one tire is affected, the location of that
tire will be indicated. The message turns
off after
a few minutes. You can display the message
again
,=;, page 25.
The tire pressures must be stored in the menu
display again each time the pressures change
(switching between partial and full load pres
sure) or after changing or replacing a tire on your
vehicle
c;, page 223. The tire pressure mon itor
ing system on ly monitors the tire pressure you
have stored . You can find the recommended tire
pressures for your vehicle on the label on the
driver's door pillar
q page 214 .
Tire tread circumference and vibrat ion character
i stics can change and cause a tire pressure warn
i ng if:
-If the tire pressure in one or more t ires is too
low,
- the tire has structural damage,
- The tire was replaced or the tire pressure
changed and it was not stored again
,=;, page 223.
- the spare tire is installed.
Emerg enc y assis ta nc e
-If the spare tire is more than 6 years old,
use it only in an emergency and with ex
treme caution and careful dr iving .
- The spare tire is intended on ly for tempora
ry and short-term use. It should be replaced
as soon as possible with the normal wheel and t ire .
- After mounting the compact spare t ire, the
t ire pressure must be checked as soon as
poss ible . The tire pressure of the compact
spare tire must be
61 psi (420 kPA); other
wise, you risk hav ing an accident.
- Do not drive faster than
50 mph (80 km/h).
You risk hav ing an accident.
- Avoid full -throttle accelerat ion, heavy brak
ing, and fast cornering. You risk having an
acc ident.
- Never dr ive using more than one spare
wheel and tire. You risk having an acc ident .
- Normal summer or winter tires must not be mounted on the compact spare wheel rim.
- For technical reasons, the use of tire chains
on the spare tire is not perm itted. If it is
necessary to drive with t ire chains, the spare
wheel must be mounted on the front axle in
the event of a flat in a rear tire. The new ly
available front wheel m ust then be insta lled
in place of the rear wheel with the flat tire.
Installing the tire chain before mounting
the wheel and tire is recommended.
- Loose items in the passenger compartment
can cause serious personal injury during
hard braking or in an accident. Never store
the inflatable spare t ire or jack and too ls in
the passenger compartment.
- Normal summer or winter tires must not be
mounted on the compact spare wheel rim.
Replacing wheels
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own
and your passenger's safety when changing a
wheel.
.,. After you experience a tire failure, pull the car
well away from moving traff ic and try to reach
le vel ground before you stop¢_& .
234
.. All passengers should lea ve th e car and move
to a safe location (for instance, behind the
guardrail) ¢ _& .
.. Engage the
par king br ake to prevent your vehi
cle from rolling unintentionally¢_& .
.. Move
selec tor le ve r to p osition P ¢ _& .
.. If you are towing a tra iler , u nhitch the trailer
from your vehicle.
.. Ta ke the
jac k¢ page 230 and the spar e tir e
¢ page 233 out of the luggage compa rtment.
A WARNING
-
You or your passengers could be injured while
changing a whee l if you do not follow these
safety precautions:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance off the road. Turn off the engine, turn the
emergency f lashers on and use other warn
ing dev ices to alert other motorists.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well away
from the road and traff ic.
- To help prevent the veh icle from moving
suddenly and possibly slipping off the jack,
always fully set the parking brake and block
the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel be
ing cha nged . When one front wheel is lifted
off the ground, placing the Automat ic
T ransmiss ion in P (Park) will
not prevent the
veh icle from moving.
- Before you change a whee l, be sure the
gro und is level and firm . If necessary, use a
sturdy board under the jack.
- Always sto re the vehicle too l kit, the jack
and the replaced tire in the luggage com
par tment
¢page 130.
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence
described below step-by-step and in exactly that
order.
1. Remove the decorati ve wh eel co ver* . For
more detai ls see also ¢
page 235, Decora
tive wheel covers
or ¢ page 235, Wheels
with wheel bolt caps .
2. Loosen the wh ee l bolt s ¢page 236.